Readers' Tips Summarized

XRP Picks Up Nomination for Best Adventure at Gen Con Awards

It's official! Expeditious Retreat Press has garnered a
nomination for Best Adventure with 1 on 1 Adventures #6.66:
The Pleasure Prison. Stop by their on-line store and pick up
your copy today! XRP is also up for Fans Choice Awards.
Voting takes places on July 17-30, and the winners will be
announced at a gala ceremony Friday, August 11 at Gen Con.

A Brief Word From Johnn

Magic Items Series Begins

This issue begins a three part series about making magic
items interesting. Way back in 2004 I had requested articles
on this topic. Right around then I changed jobs and moved to
a new city.

As requested, several folks sent in outlines of their
articles first, for approval and reservation. However, a
number of industrious readers sent articles in during the
following weeks without notice. The submissions were all
very much appreciated! However, this created a dilemma of
having several repeat and overlapping articles and tips.

Procrastination and time pressures for other things soon set
in as I debated how to handle the issue. However, thanks to
the recent addition of Leslie and Isaac as e-zine co-
editors, this project has finally been wrapped up.

My apologies to all the writers who waited two and a half
years to see their magic items tips in the e-zine! I dropped
the ball on this one.

Over the next three issues, we'll feature several tips from
different authors. Then keep an eye out for a magic items
supplemental issue with all the tips and articles received
in one huge file.

Congrats to the ENnie Nominees

Kudos to Joe and Suzi over at Expeditious Retreat Press, and
to the great folks at Tabletop Adventures, for getting
nominated for Gen Con ENnie 2006 awards! Look for their ads
in this issue. Don't forget to vote online: July 17-30: 2006 ENnie Awards

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Making Magic Items Interesting

1. Boring Magic

A common problem in fantasy games is that magic items, no
matter how rare they're supposed to be, end up becoming
boring, commonplace tools as far as the players are
concerned. A longsword +1 is just a weapon that deals an
extra point of damage, the ring of regeneration just means
the fighter can go toe-to-toe with a troll, and the horn of
blasting just means the party can threaten mighty kings.
Players rapidly start picking through the treasure, tossing
out items they don't feel are good enough.

Part of the problem is the players, who fail to roleplay
their characters properly - how do they know it's a +1
longsword? They can tell it's enchanted to make it a better
weapon, perhaps, and they might even be able to tell the
enchantment is weaker than the one on their own blade--but
no one, unless they're a wizard with time to study the item
in depth, should be able to tell exactly what it does. That
weak longsword +1 might have a wish spell concealed under
the main enchantment.

Another part of the problem often lies with the GM who makes
magic too common. He gives in to the Magical Warfare Arms
Race, where the party gets a specific item to beat a
specific bad guy, but the item proves versatile enough in
the hands of creative players that the enemy has to be
pumped up to withstand it. This eventually leads to a new,
more powerful item, and it escalates from there until the
players get it into their heads to challenge the gods.

2. Scarcity

The first and simplest way is to limit the number and power
of magic items. If a longsword +1 is a rare find, the
players will come to respect it.

If one of your players is a wizard, however, sooner or later
they'll decide to make their own magic items. One way to
limit this is to make the process so involved, complex,
expensive and/or risky that only wizards who desperately
need an item will undergo the task of creating one, perhaps
crafting a simple magical sword requires a pact with a demon
or the sacrifice of a female albino teenager with six
fingers.

For the groups without a mage, the task is simpler -keep
them from getting their hands on magic. There are no magic
shops anywhere. The dragon's lair contains, perhaps, the
sword of a legendary hero, a longsword +1, which wasn't
enough to keep him from being eaten by the dragon.

Another possible solution, suggested to me by Johnn, is the
existence of a guild of some sort who snap up any magical
items they find, limiting the number of items floating
around. Perhaps there is more than one guild, in constant
conflict. If they're the only magic-heavy groups around, the
devastation caused by some of their battles could seriously
sway public opinion, limiting the creation of new magic
items and what can be found abandoned or stolen from unwary
agents of the guilds. This puts the matter firmly in the
GM's hands as to what might be available.

Another option is to make magic illegal. One common theme in
fantasy is a court magician. Those magicians might persuade
the current ruler to ban all magic not officially permitted
by noble ruling. This would nicely secure the court
wizard's position, and put any magic-bearing PCs in hot
water. Sure, the ring of invisibility might be handy right
now, but if a guard sees it, the entire party will go on the
kingdom's Most Wanted list quickly.

A final possibility is to have magic gradually wear out. If
even permanent spells wear out, eventually the legendary
sunsword of the vampire slayer Von Dalchin will be nothing
more than a rusty relic of bygone times. While none of the
PC items should have a high chance of wearing out during the
game, the fact that it happens means there are fewer items
floating around, and if the party gets an item they're
abusing too much, the magic will wear out eventually.

Some players will feel cheated if they don't get to deck
their character out until he glows with magic, however. For
players like that, there are other solutions.

3. Quirky Magic

If your players demand magic, one solution is to give them
magical items with quirks. You can use major and minor
quirks.

Minor quirks can be amusing or annoying, but rarely have any
impact beyond making the items unique and unusual. The horn
of blasting amplifies all the sound around it, constantly
causing an ear-grating humming unless it gets carefully
wrapped in sound-dampening cloths. Maybe the potions of
healing leave you ravenously hungry, burning up your body's
calories to heal you. You still might die...of starvation!

In essence, a minor quirk is something that causes, at
worst, a small inconvenience. In the examples above, most
players will have food on hand, especially if they know
healing potions make you hungry, and a tunic can serve to
muffle the horn.

Major quirks have significant impact. Perhaps the power of
the sword is tied to the phases of the moon, with a full
moon giving it the most power and the new moon making it
weaker than a common iron blade. Perhaps those potions of
flight actually turn you into a giant parakeet for the
duration. (A nice GM will let the equipment polymorph with
the character. A more evil GM will rule on damage to the
equipment if it falls and breaks.)

As a general rule of thumb for this way of handling magic,
the more powerful the item, the more quirky it should be.
Potions of healing make you hungry, but the Rod of
Resurrection kills all plant life within a mile!

Some sample quirks:

The item is linked to the lunar phases; during the full
moon the power of it is enhanced, and during the new moon
it functions as if it were a cursed item. (Major quirk)

Potions of flight that transform you into a giant bird,
probably something utterly strange such as a parakeet. This
seriously limits the stealth potential of a flight potion,
to say nothing of the strange looks a giant parakeet will
get. (Major quirk)

A single weapon that has two different sets of powers,
depending on if the sun is up or not. Preferably, the powers
are opposite from each other. There's nothing like fighting
a troll with your flamebrand, then when the sun sets you're
suddenly waving around a frostbrand instead.... (Major
quirk)

While most of the item's powers work as advertised, one
randomly fluctuates - probably the most useful power. Every
time the wielder tries to use it, there's a chance the power
will fail to work. (Major quirk)

The item's powers occasionally mutate randomly. Perhaps
the longsword +1 you had when you fell asleep is a
flamebrand this morning, and then it's a cursed longsword of
fumbling at lunch! (Major quirk)

Whenever the owner uses the item, it attracts normal
insects of some kind. While not particularly major, it is
irritating to have a swarm of flies and wasps descend on
you in the middle of a pitched fight with an orc
chieftain.... (Minor quirk)

The item glows. Constantly. The glow will radiate through
anything used to try to shield it. This is a nuisance as the
character can never hide as long as he has the item on hand.
(Minor quirk)

The item hums all the time. It can be either a vague
droning sound that gradually gets on everyone's nerves, or
it can be humming a tune, but it only knows one tune, which
can drive people crazy faster than the atonal humming would.
(Minor quirk)

As long as the owner carries the item, small plants and
animals around him will fall over dead. This quirk could
rapidly lead to accusations of demonic origins, necromancy,
etc. (Minor quirk)

The item has an aura around it that subliminally convinces
people that they know the owner from somewhere, even if
they've never seen him before. While this won't predispose
them for or against the owner, it will result in strange
looks and weird expressions.... (Minor quirk)

4. Intelligent Items

Many game systems rule that an intelligent magic item can
have a will of its own and is able to disagree with its
owner or refuse a task. This doesn't have to be so. Some
magic items may just be intelligent and like to talk. Which
is worse, a taciturn holy sword that refuses to do anything
that won't further the cause of Good, or the dagger in your
belt that just won't shut up, especially when you really
need it to? Maybe the item says the wrong things at the
wrong time....

Most intelligent items will have names, and egotistical ones
may like to hear it a lot, even if they're the one saying
it. "Did I ever tell you about the Battle of Sun Peak? The
hero, Glong, had the magic sword Sunbreaker -that's me - and
he...." This can get frustrating in no time at all, but if
the weapon has a useful power, the party may need to keep it
with them, suffering the incessant chatter with gritted
teeth and cotton in their ears.

We all know how irritating it is to get woken up early in
the morning by missionaries coming to your door. Picture a
mace or shield that used to belong to a powerful priest -
now, the intelligent item tries to convert everyone in
earshot, using any method it can think of: shouting everyone
awake to 'view the glorious dawn created by Pelor!', singing
hymns and paeans late into the night, shouting insults at
priests of opposing faiths....

Give the PCs an item with personality, no matter how weak
the item is, and it will stick in their minds and remind
them how magic is strange. After all, which is cooler, a
warhammer +1, or a warhammer +1 named Crusher, which
grumbles incessantly about ham-handed idiots who can't swing
a hammer to save their lives?

Some sample personalities:

A sweet, naive, pacifistic personality. This is especially
appropriate for a non-lethal weapon, such as an enchanted
net or lariat - or fittingly ironic for a powerfully
enchanted sword.

A power-mad megalomaniac who seems convinced the party is
going to do what it wants and makes dire threats if it gets
disobeyed. Not that it can't actually do anything, but
having your sword tell you what it intends to do to you for
sparing the villagers can be creepy.

For some reason, the item believes itself to be a dog. It
barks at passing strangers, pants after a long fight, and
howls at the moon.

A lazy, apathetic personality that doesn't want to be
bothered, and which will complain loudly if it gets used.

A weapon that refuses to speak any language the players
can understand, but which will talk loudly and at length in
foreign tongues.

Steadfastly loyal to an ancient empire, which, it seems,
has outlawed just about everything the party likes to do.
The item will routinely try to get the party locked up by
screaming things like 'Help! Thief!' when around guards.

A stalwart, heroic personality that likes to keep morale
up, often shouting cheers and encouragement to the wielder.
It's like the annoying sidekick, only without the
occasional, useful backup.

A quiet, taciturn personality, who gradually gets used to
the party; eventually, while never becoming talkative, the
item will defend the party against anyone trying to slander
them.

5. Magical Interference

A Dragon Magazine once had an article on too many magic
items having strange effects around each other. If your
players like to carry around a lot of magic items, this may
well cure them of the problem.

What's the point of wearing plate mail +2, carrying a
flaming longsword +3, wearing a ring of regeneration,
invisibility, and warmth, and a cloak of flight if having
more than three of items causes effects like glowing purple
(even while invisible), speaking in a high falsetto voice
that makes dogs howl, and having your shadow lag about three
seconds behind you?

Two kinds of side effects are possible: ones resulting from
permanent magical items like cloaks, swords, and the like,
and ones from temporary items like wands, potions, and
powders.

Permanent quirks may or may not remain after the items are
removed. It's the GM's call, although the first ruling
should set the standard. If they're completely permanent, a
Remove Curse spell may be needed to free the victim of the
effects.

Permanent quirks can do just about anything: change the way
a character looks, the way he sounds, the way he sees
things.... Picture the poor sap who gets a mother-in-law
illusion only he can see!

It is a good idea to tailor the side effects to the items.
If the character is wearing something like a displacer
cloak, a ring of invisibility, or boots of stealth, perhaps
he becomes permanently invisible. This might seem like an
advantage at first, but picture how hard it'll be to do
anything normal. Shopkeepers won't want anything to do with
him, guards will be convinced he's up to no good even if
he's just trying to visit a friend, and most anything that
can see him will likely be hostile anyway. If he's the only
thing to turn permanently invisible, his clothes and gear
will seem to be animated, or controlled by a ghost!

Temporary effects should result from temporary items - wait
long enough, and they'll wear off. Someone who drank too
many potions of flight in too short a time might not be able
to land, constantly drifting up to bump against the ceiling
like a balloon. Effects wearing off can be hazardous too.

Mixing different kinds of potions can be dangerous. A potion
of flight, a potion of healing, and a potion of strength
might intermix and result in the character temporarily
turning into a small roc, or they might explode as the
different types of magic fight for dominance. They might
just give the character a horrible case of indigestion,
complete with belching rainbow clouds of fumes.

Some examples of temporary effect:

The character grows useless batwings, which refuse to go
away. This makes wearing a cloak and armour difficult, and
the character will likely be accused of being a demon
anywhere he goes.

As a result of too many fire-magic items, the character's
hair turns into a corona of flames. While they don't harm
him and aren't hot enough to really hurt anything, it makes
sleeping on anything flammable a bit tricky.

The character's hair starts growing rapidly - a full inch
per hour. While not fast enough to be immediately dangerous,
letting it go for a few days without cutting it can be
trouble. On the other hand, an enterprising character can
make a fortune selling hair to wigmakers and rope-weavers.

A phantasmal image follows the character everywhere,
hovering on the edge of the character's vision. Disturbing
things regularly manifest, such as the glint of light off a
scythe's edge, the crackling of bones moving without flesh,
or the rustle of a thick black robe.

The character attracts ravens. Everywhere he goes, they'll
flock to perch on things and stare at him. Often he'll wake
up to find two or three sitting on his chest, peering at him
with dark eyes. If ravens are known for something - bearers
of ill luck, messengers of the gods, familiars of evil
wizards - this can be amusing to play out.

The character temporarily develops a reverse chameleon
effect. His skin perfectly mirrors whatever happens to be on
the other side of him, but in precisely the opposite colors.

The character's use of too much temporary flight magic
(shouldn't have drank that last potion of flying right after
using the dust of airwalking) leaves him temporarily
weightless. Even a mild wind can blow him away, although,
unless he gets trapped against something, he likely won't be
hurt by any attacks.

The character begins to glow, radiating light equal to a
good candle. This makes him exceptionally easy to find in
the dark.

The character attracts the attention of every spirit,
faerie, and magical beast within a five mile radius. This
can get frustrating quickly.

The character's size begins to fluctuate, depending on his
mood; the happier or angrier he gets, the bigger he grows;
the more somber or tired he gets, the smaller he becomes.
However, his mass doesn't change. Picture a 20-foot-tall
dwarf who weighs as much as a four-foot-tall dwarf!

6. Memorable Items

The best way, however, is to simply make items memorable.
Give the +1 sword a description and history. Make it unique,
with a place in your world's background. How will the thief
feel when he finds out his magic dagger once belonged to the
noble barbarian hero-turned-king Dalmont, who fought the
same demon lord now menacing the land again?

While it may be more work for the poor GM, the rewards can
be great. One of my own favorite magic items remains a
simple sword with a bluish blade; it has a habit of talking
to itself in strange tongues, and has a raging hatred of
water and water elementals. It used to belong to the pirate
Havarin, who used it to destroy the elemental guarding the
port city of Pearl. In game terms, it's nothing more than a
simple sword +1 with a minor intelligence, but to my
character, it's a historic legacy.

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Readers' Tips Of The Week:

1. Game Time Savers

Word Processor - Bold text is to be read to the players.
Italics are events that are triggered. Plain text is DM's
description. Hypertext launches links to other docs.

YoYoDyne's Monster 3.5 - Creates stat block web pages in
seconds for SRD monsters. Save them to a folder, and link to
them from the Word Processor document. Use Firefox or
another tabbed browser to read them. Change the template if
you like.

d20srd.org - Give them the $15 and get the downloadable
version. It's worth it. I keep multiple copies of this up
anytime I'm gaming.

Visual Aids - Each player gets a Tupperware box for their
character. If they find a potion they get a numbered dram
vial. If they drink a potion, they hand it over. I run a
spreadsheet with all the vial numbers and their contents. I
do the same with scrolls (flat bobbins), and other magic
items (index cards). Once this is set up, it runs very
gracefully, and disorganized players usually only drink the
wrong potion once.

2. Character Creation Doesn't Stop When The Game Starts

From: Jonas Dorn

Hi Johnn,

For the type of RPG I play, which tries to emphasize role-
playing over roll-playing (while still providing ample
opportunities for the heroes to kill or be killed),
preparation is the key prerequisite for a good game.

If the DM takes or invents an unimaginative scenario, or if
the players arrive with bland characters, it will be
difficult to have the group create an interesting story.
This means a DM should not only think about the setting and
its surprising twists and turns, but also be involved in
character creation.

Don't be afraid to say no to an idea, but be flexible enough
to adjust your setting or the story to accommodate creative
ideas. For example, a player wanted to be a vampire in my
D&D campaign. That was a problem because of the level
adjustment, and because of the evil nature of vampires. We
talked about it and came up with a vampire-afflicted
template, where the otherwise normal character gets some of
the vampire's qualities, but will wake up in the middle of
the night with an irresistible urge to drink blood from the
closest living being if he fails his will save.

Even if you are starting up a campaign with experienced
players, but more so when having players who are new to the
game, this process of figuring out the character takes time.
I allow at least two weeks for that, even though I would
love nothing more than to start playing the moment I have my
group assembled.

One additional advantage of talking with players about their
characters is that you can point them to skills or spells
that aren't covered by the group yet (if you roll high on
your personal diplomacy check, you will be able to do it
without them ever noticing :). If they really would like
their cleric to be a maestro with the flute, let them do it
and provide them with an opportunity sometime later to use
that skill.

In one of my campaigns, I have a player who wanted to play a
unique character, while at the same time, he wasn't creative
and knowledgeable enough to actually build one. Worse, at
first he did not want me to interfere. In that instance, it
helped a lot to allocate enough time for character creation,
because once he had finally made up his mind about the
character, and showed me a horrible character sheet two days
before the first session, I could see where he wanted the
character to be going, and could explain how he could
achieve the goals for his character with somewhat better
balanced stats. Now he has a character he's happy playing
that I would actually love playing myself, which, in my
opinion, should be the DM's goal for character creation.

Once you're off on a good start, I believe every session
should be equally important. This means the characters
should be given opportunities to show their facets, and they
should learn something more about the world every single
session, even if all they do is fight an epic battle. And
remember: character creation doesn't stop when the game
starts. It's just called development.

3. The Most Important Session

This is a tough question. I could not decide until I made a
distinction between most important and most entertaining.
Thinking like this, the first session is the most important.
The first session sets the tone and introduces the
characters, the plot, and the setting. It's like opening
night at the theater.

4. Use Consistent Visual Aids

From: Ian Toltz

Visual aids are always a nice addition to any game, but one
problem can be finding aids that are consistent. Thus, I
suggest using the artwork from Magic: The Gathering.
Regardless of how you feel about the game or its art, for
over 10 years they've been taking great pains to ensure that
each block maintains a distinct and consistent visual flavor
(I'd say starting with Mirage block, although Tempest is
when it really got tight).

On the downside, it requires you to have a little bit of
knowledge about Magic so you know what to look for. Still, I
think it's well worth the trouble.

As an added bonus, sometimes Magic can prove a good source
of inspiration. For example, I've based a group in my world,
called the Vodak, off of a guild called the Simic from the
most recent set of magic, Guildpact. The Simic are a
collection of researchers and wizards who conduct
experiments in altering organisms, sort of a sci-fi genetic
engineering thing in a fantasy garb.